Basketball teams court new seasons

It will still be another month or so before they light up the scoreboards, but for college basketball coaches around the country, the game is already on – and has been, in most cases, since classes started last month.

Friday is the first day teams can officially practice in preparation for the 2006-07 season, but most coaches ratcheted up their focus and intensity levels some time ago.

“Once school starts, you all of sudden get that sense of urgency,” said third-year Eastern Washington University men’s coach Mike Burns, who will put his Eagles through their initial workout Saturday afternoon at Reese Court. “You get done with recruiting in July and get a little time to catch your breath.

“But then classes get going and you realize it’s here. And when practice starts, the wives suddenly realize, ‘We’re just not going to see a whole lot of (our husbands) for a while.’ Things kind or roll to a crescendo, because you’re becoming more and more involved with your team, and that becomes your focus.”

At Washington State, first-year men’s head coach Tony Bennett will stage his first workout at 7 p.m. on Friday. His counterpart at Gonzaga, Mark Few, will do the same, with the women’s teams at both schools waiting until Saturday to hold their first practices.

Idaho’s George Pfeifer, in his first season as an NCAA Division I head coach, will hold his first official practice Saturday, as will the Vandals women. But a meet-the-teams event that will include a dunk contest, 3-point contests and short intrasquad scrimmages has been scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday and is open to the public.

Eastern’s women will hold their first practice Saturday morning.